


Now, For October Eves

by OnMyShore



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Banter, Costumes, Disaster siblings, Fluff, Found Family, Friendship, Halloween, Implied One-Sided Stevie/Alexis, M/M, Patrick Brewer is a Button, Pumpkin carving, Shameless Autumn-Flavored Fluff, Thunderstorms, Trick or Treating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27178382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnMyShore/pseuds/OnMyShore
Summary: David, Alexis, and Stevie have never had what one might call a normal Halloween. Patrick means to fix that.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Comments: 32
Kudos: 75
Collections: Schitt's Creek Trick Or Treat





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [SCTrickOrTreat](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SCTrickOrTreat) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> David and Alexis have never celebrated Halloween before in a way that wasn’t a massive drug filled party. Stevie and Patrick (and whoever else you may want to add) help them to have their first traditional Halloween, complete with pumpkin carving, ridiculous costumes, scary movies, and trick or treating. Set at any time in their story. Would love to see David/Patrick as well as Stevie/Alexis, depending on the timing.
> 
> Takes place somewhere in that nebulous time between “The Olive Branch” and “Singles Week.”

“Did you know David has never been trick-or-treating?”

Stevie glances up at the non-sequitur over the top of her book; on the other side of the counter, Patrick’s face is very, very serious. “So?”

“Stevie. He’s never been trick-or-treating.”

Stevie leans forward. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but your boyfriend didn’t have a normal childhood.”

“Oh, believe me, I know.” The way he says it makes Stevie wonder how much David has actually shared. “But that seems like such a basic thing, doesn’t it? I mean, you went trick-or-treating when you were a kid, didn’t you?”

“Probably not in the same way that you did, but sure.” She vaguely remembers dragging a mostly-empty pillowcase behind her, trailing her older cousins while they chain-smoked and smashed a bunch of pumpkins - but they’re talking about David’s sad childhood, not hers.

“I think we should do something for Halloween,” Patrick says, apparently oblivious to her reluctant trip down memory lane. “Really get into the season, you know?”

“What are you, the Halloween elf?”

Patrick tilts his head. “Halloween elf?”

“Because you’re short,” she clarifies, savoring the withering look he gives her like a sip of fine wine. Against her better judgment, though, she puts her book down and asks, “What exactly did you have in mind to fix this terrible oversight? Because if you tried to go trick-or-treating now I’m pretty sure you’d both be arrested.”

“No, I know, that’s definitely not happening.” A look of actual disappointment flutters across his face. “But there’s plenty of other Halloween-themed activities we can try, right?” He pauses, and then adds, “I’m open to suggestions.”

Stevie is absolutely, 100% sure she doesn’t want to get sucked into Patrick’s “Give My Boyfriend The Perfect Halloween He Never Had” scheme. She doesn’t. This type of sappy nonsense is not in her wheelhouse, no matter how many of those fucking Bridget Jones movies David makes her watch, and she’s fine with that. More than fine, in fact - she revels in it (as much as someone with her disposition can revel in anything). She doesn’t need Patrick “Heart Eyes” Brewer turning her soft and ruining her reputation.

On the other hand, Halloween is the only holiday she actually kind of enjoys. Patrick’s cheeseball factor aside, she doesn’t _hate_ the idea of actually doing something to celebrate, even though she knows for a fact she wouldn’t bother to do it on her own. Maybe by helping David, she can actually help herself, which is the best possible outcome as far as she’s concerned.

Chewing her lip, and already certain she’s going to regret it, she says, “Maybe I could help you come up with something.”

Patrick’s face actually lights up. Stevie immediately wants to take it back.

“That would be great, thank you! David’s got some vendor pick-ups tomorrow, why don’t you come by at lunch and we can brainstorm?”

Stevie mentally recoils at the word “brainstorm,” but she schools her face into an expression of boredom and says, “Whatever, you’re paying.”

“Absolutely.” He taps his flattened palms against the counter in a sort of roll, left-right-left, and says, “So I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Fine.” She dismisses him with a lazy half-wave. As he’s leaving, a thought occurs to her, seemingly out of nowhere. “Hey.”

“Yep?” He turns back to her, hand on the doorknob.

Stevie keeps her eyes trained on the computer screen as she says, “We should probably invite Alexis, too.” Glancing up, she adds, “It’s not like David is the only Rose child who missed out, right?”

Patrick’s eyes are warmer than she’s comfortable with, but all he says is, “Good idea,” and he lets himself out before she can chase him away herself.

***

Patrick actually texts her the next morning to ask her what she’d like for lunch. Stevie calls him a dork but requests a turkey club with extra fries, which is waiting for her on the counter when she shows up to the store just after noon. Patrick ushers her in, flipping the sign on the door to CLOSED behind her. Leaning in, like they’re planning a heist (or an assassination), he tells her that David still had a few more stops to make when he called to check in, and he probably wouldn’t be back until close to closing.

“Plenty of time to plan,” he says, cheerfully ignoring Stevie’s groan as she reaches for her sandwich.

They take their food to the glorified closet that is Patrick’s office, cramming themselves in next to the desk that takes up most of the space. Stevie balances the takeout container on her knees while Patrick pulls a notebook out of a drawer - apparently, when he said “brainstorm,” he meant they were going to fucking _brainstorm._

“Did you do anything for Halloween last year?” he asks between bites of his grilled cheese and tomato.

Stevie has to think about it. “I’m pretty sure we got stoned and watched _Hellraiser 3.”_

“The worst of the _Hellraisers,”_ Patrick sighs.

“Says the guy who apparently never saw 4, 5, or 6.”

There’s a pause. “I didn’t think 5 was that bad.”

Stevie stares at him. “Really?”

“Anyway,” Patrick says quickly, “I was trying to come up with some ideas last night. Now, don’t laugh-”

“Too late.”

“-But I found this list while I was Googling and I thought it would be a good jumping-off point.”

He’s been tapping at his phone as he talks, but now he puts it down on the desk, spinning it around so she can see the screen. Stevie leans over and snorts at the black background and orange font, cartoon pumpkins and candy corns parading across the top _and_ the bottom.

“I know, I know,” Patrick says, rubbing the back of his neck and looking a little embarrassed. “It’s goofy, but it’s got some good ideas on there.”

“You’re not hoping to tick all of these off, are you?” Stevie’s scanning the list, which has close to thirty suggestions, many of which could fall into the “first grade arts and crafts” category. Over her dead body are they going to be making a bat out of a paper plate - David can thank her later.

“Oh no, obviously not.” Patrick shakes his head. “We wouldn’t have time for all of this, for one thing, and also, a lot of this stuff is sort of…”

“Off-brand?” Stevie supplies, to borrow a phrase from David himself.

“Exactly. But - see, look.” Patrick pulls the phone back, turning it so they can both read it at the same time. “Carving pumpkins? Seems like a no-brainer.”

“If you say so.” Stevie can already see the look of horror on David’s face at the idea of getting pumpkin slime anywhere near his thousand-dollar pants.

Patrick presses on. “Scary movie night? Easy. Bonfire? We could definitely find a place for a bonfire.”

“Someone lit a fire in the motel parking lot last week.”

“Sure,” Patrick says, looking not very sure at all. Stevie pops another fry in her mouth, eyebrows raised. “But...you see what I mean, right? It’s not all bad.” Giving her a knowing look, he adds, “It might actually be fun.”

“Depends on your definition of fun,” Stevie replies.

Patrick jabs at the screen with his pinky. “We can start here. ‘Visit an autumn fair.’ Elm Valley has their annual Fall Festival next weekend.”

“Elm Valley has a fall festival? Since when?”

“They do it every year, apparently.” Patrick crams the last corner of his sandwich into his mouth, because apparently he eats like a monster when David’s not around.

Stevie frowns. “I’ve never heard of it.”

Patrick swallows and says, “Well, yeah.”

Stevie blinks and shakes her head. “What does _that_ mean?”

“Nothing.” Patrick’s eyebrows go up. “It just doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that would be on your radar, that’s all.”

Stevie scowls. “You don’t know what’s on my radar.”

Patrick nods his head to one side and says, “Except you just admitted that it wasn’t, so…”

“So nothing.”

Patrick gives her a smile like he’s too nice to laugh at her, and she likes that looks so much better when he’s aiming it at David instead of her. But he’s still watching her expectantly, and after a moment, he says, “So are you in for next weekend?”

“Yeah. Sure.” Stevie shrugs. “Just let me know when.”

“Friday night? We can close the store a couple of hours early and drive over in the afternoon.”

“Close early?” Stevie gives him an exaggerated double-take. “My God. What’s gotten into you?”

Patrick chuckles. “Must be all this Halloween spirit.”

Stevie groans. “If that was a fucking Halloween pun, I swear…”

Looking far too pleased with himself, Patrick says, “It wasn’t intentional, but I wish it was.”

“And on that note.” Stevie starts gathering her stuff to leave, because puns are where she draws the line - intentional or not.


	2. Chapter 2

Friday afternoon arrives, bringing a dip in the temperature with it despite the afternoon sun. Stevie crosses her arms across her chest as she and Alexis make their way from the motel to meet the boys at the store, wondering how Alexis can look so calm and collected despite the thin sweater and jean jacket she’s sporting. Stevie is wearing her jacket over a flannel on a t-shirt, and she can already tell she’s going to be cold later.

“You know, it’s not too late to turn back,” Stevie says. “We could just blow the whole thing off now. I could lie and say I have food poisoning. Or you can tell them I broke my leg.”

“Oh my God, no.” Alexis swats at Stevie’s shoulder. “You should have seen Patrick’s little face when he asked if I wanted to come, he looked so excited. I mean, blowing off David is one thing, like, it’s fine? But if I hurt Patrick’s feelings I wouldn’t be able to look at him for a week. Probably.” She considers it. “A day or two, at least, anyway.”

Stevie shrugs. “Fine, but it’s probably just going to be two tents in a scrubby field and a guy selling hot dogs out of the back of his truck, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Stop, it’s going to be fun.” Alexis has a little bounce in her step, like she’s actually looking forward to going. Maybe she’s just excited to have plans that take her out of town - or maybe it’s something else entirely. She’s noticed that Alexis has been spending a lot more time hanging around the motel since she’s finished her classes, under the guise of “rebranding.” Stevie’s no expert, and nobody asked her anyway, but she thinks maybe Alexis has been feeling a little bit adrift lately, especially with David spending his days at the store and a lot of his nights with Patrick. Stevie could happily go days with talking to another person (and she has, too), but Alexis definitely thrives on the company of others, and company is something she hasn’t been getting as much of lately.

The sign on the Apothecary door is already flipped when they arrive, along with a new sign taped to the glass informing customers of the early closing time, but Patrick waves them in when he sees them standing outside. To Stevie’s surprise, the store has actually been decorated for Halloween - not the traditional black and orange, not a fake bat or rubber spider to be found, but there’s definitely been an attempt to capture the spirit of the season, without deviating too far from David’s sense of style. There are white pumpkins of various sizes scattered around the store, including some tiny ones tucked into the shelves, which go nicely with the weird black birds David had taken with him when the Blouse Barn closed. There’s a table set up in front of the window next to the register highlighting some of their more seasonal products, set with another tiny white pumpkin and two large candlesticks.

“I’m surprised he allowed all this,” Stevie says. Patrick looks up from where he’s counting out the register and grins.

“Well. It took a little convincing but I promised I wouldn’t...what was the word? Deviate from the store’s carefully curated aesthetic?”

“So are we not covering everything with fake spiderwebs?”

“Absolutely not,” David says, emerging from the back. “Did we include more of that hand cream in our order with Brenda this week? We’re down to one box.”

“I’ll have to check the invoice but I’m pretty sure we did.”

“Where’d you get the candles?” Stevie interrupts, because hearing David talking business still freaks her out a little bit. Alexis is running a manicured finger down the silver stem in appraisal, and she raises her eyebrows.

David and Patrick glance at each other, and Patrick says, “We found them at an antique store last week.”

“You guys went antiquing?” Alexis chirps, eyes wide with delight. “That’s so cute, you’re like a couple of old men!”

“No,” David says while Patrick bites back a grin. “We did not ‘go antiquing.’ We were already out and happened to pass the shop, so we decided to go in.”

“It’s a very important distinction,” Patrick teases.

“Sounds boring either way,” Stevie says, earning a shrug from Patrick and an eyeroll from David. Gesturing at the door, she asks, “So are we going or what?”

David gives her a suspicious look. “Since when did you become so enthusiastic?”

“We didn’t,” Stevie shoots back, “but anything is better than staying here listening to you and your boyfriend talk about antiques.”

“They had a whole room in the back that was nothing but clocks,” Patrick cuts in, trying not to laugh, and that is _actually_ Stevie’s cut-off when it comes to both discussing old junk and being on the receiving end of Patrick’s trolling.

“We’ll just let you geriatrics finish up in here and meet you outside.” Stevie shoots a look at Alexis, who puts down the jar candle she’d been sniffing and links her arm through Stevie’s on the way out.

Ten minutes later, they’re finally on the road to Elm Valley, Stevie and Alexis crammed shoulder-to-shoulder in the back while David rides shotgun and occasionally reads directions from his phone. The sun has dipped lower in the sky, and the light has taken on a warm, hazy quality, the gold so deep it’s almost orange as it filters through the trees. Alexis has rolled the window down halfway, despite the chill, and the wind whips at the wisps of hair around her face. Up front, Patrick is singing along softly to the radio as he drives, something quiet and folksy that Stevie doesn’t recognize but also doesn’t hate.

“It’s, like, really pretty out here,” Alexis comments, and Stevie looks out the window at the riot of yellow, orange and red.

“Yeah,” she says, half to herself. “I guess it is.”

David is watching her in the rearview mirror over his sunglasses; when she catches his eye, she scowls in an attempt to save face, looking back out the window so she can pretend she didn’t see his smirk.

“Wow,” Patrick says when they pull up to the park entrance. There’s a line of cars backed up almost to the top of the driveway, all patiently waiting their turn to park. Stevie hasn’t been expecting much, and the turnout takes her by surprise. Even taking into account that they live in the middle of nowhere and everyone is desperate for something to do on a Friday night, this feels like a lot of people.

Patrick rolls down his window as they inch closer. In the distance, Stevie can hear tinny music over ancient speakers, blending with hundreds of voices to form a dull rush. They’re still too far back to get a clear view of the fair, but Stevie catches glimpses of the lights through the trees.

“So much for selling hot dogs out of trucks,” Alexis says with a nudge, crowding into Stevie’s space to lean forward and peer through the windshield.

“We haven’t ruled it out yet,” Stevie replies, but she has to admit that she wasn’t expecting anything of this scale.

The car in front of them finally pulls into the parking lot, and the attendant saunters up to their window with a cheerful, “Evening, folks.” It’s ten dollars to park but fair entrance is free, and the money goes towards the local community center. Patrick starts to fish out his wallet, but then David is leaning across him to hand off a bill of his own, waving off the attempt to make change. He shrugs off Patrick’s look of surprise and says, “What? It’s for charity, right? Besides, who knows how long we’d have to sit here and wait for him to count out the change.”

“Sure, David,” Patrick murmurs, but he’s smiling as he guides the car into an empty spot.

It smells like cold air, and dead leaves, and fried food when Stevie steps out of the car. The fair stretches out in front of them, modest in size by most standards but still far more impressive than anything Stevie had been picturing. She can see tents and booths set up in two neat rows, signs advertising local vendors of all different stripes. To the right are several food trucks and carts, with rows of picnic tables set up under a giant tent, lit up from within by strings of lights. There’s even a small Midway set up towards the back - a Ferris wheel, a merry-go-round and a baby roller coaster, sending out flashes of neon light over the labyrinth of game booths.

“This is actually a real thing,” Stevie says, unable to hide her shock.

Patrick glances at her sideways, but before he can say anything, David grabs her by the arms and exclaims, “Donuts!”

There is, in fact, a food stand just past the entrance making hot apple cider donuts to order, the air thick with the scent of cinnamon and hot oil. Stevie’s stomach is already growling as they order; she hasn’t had anything to eat since her PB&J at 11:30. It’s hot enough to burn her fingers when it’s handed to her, despite the wax paper holder and the layer of napkins, but she barely gives it time to cool before she takes a bite. It’s hot enough to make her eyes water, but it’s surprisingly light and tender, practically melting on her tongue and leaving traces of crystallized cinnamon sugar on her lips.

David moans in a way that might be considered obscene in polite society, and turns an accusing eye on Stevie. “Why have we never gotten these before?”

“You never asked.” Stevie shrugs, even though she’s kind of wondering the same thing.

“How was I supposed to know?” David flails his arm. “You’re from here! It’s your job to tell me these things exist!”

“It’s my _job?”_ Stevie echoes, eyes narrowed. Alexis, who declined a donut of her own, is trying to take advantage of David’s distraction to steal a piece of his, but he deflects her with an elbow.

“Yes!” he insists. “It’s your job as my friend! I’m going to have to put on - on friend probation!”

“Oh no, how will I live?” Stevie drawls, and David scoffs, once again knocking Alexis’s wandering hand away from his food. When she huffs, Stevie breaks off a piece from the side she hasn’t bitten and offers it over.

“Thanks, babe,” Alexis says with a smile, giving David a pointed look before popping it into her mouth. Stevie catches herself staring at her fingers and quickly looks away.

Adjacent to the donut stand is a booth covered in signs for a local brewery, where a beardy man in a flannel shirt catches them looking over and asks if they’d like to do a tasting.

“Five dollars a person, and it’s a four-beer lineup!” he says, sounding a little too chipper for Stevie’s taste. “I just need to see some IDs and I’ll get you all set up.”

“Oh my God, yes!” Alexis hands hers over with a flourish, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

As Beardy McFlannel runs through the lineup, Stevie notices Alexis is leaning on the counter they’ve set up chin propped in one hand while the other is twirling a lock of hair, watching him like the ABV of a local IPA is the most fascinating thing she’s ever heard. She’s obviously not paying attention, because she grabs the third sample down instead of starting at the beginning like they’re supposed to, and she can’t quite hide the grimace as she takes a sip, pouring the rest of it into Stevie’s glass when the guy’s back is turned.

The beer is pretty good; even David, who’s not much of a beer person in general, drinks his without complaint - though, like Alexis, he passes the rest of his IPA off to Patrick. Stevie’s never heard of this place before, but she grabs a business card and slips it into her pocket. Patrick grabs one too, making a dorky joke about his last name, and Beard Guy laughs and says, “Maybe we’re related.” He looks at David and Patrick just a shade too long as he clears their glasses; glancing over at Alexis, it’s clear she’s noticed too, because she straightens up and finishes off her last sample, giving Stevie a look and muttering, “Doesn’t look like we’ll be getting far with this one.”

They get drinks to go - beers for Patrick and Stevie, and hard cider for David and Alexis - and they wander over to the other side to check out some of the vendors. David and Patrick are in the middle of a spirited discussion.

“Absolutely not,” David is saying. “We are not selling beer in our store.”

“We sell wine, David, what’s the difference?”

“Wine is classy, and beer is something you drink in a field out of a plastic cup.”

“I think you’re generalizing. We would probably get a lot of business if we expanded our selection a little bit.”

“And we’d also give Roland an excuse to spend even more time at the store, and that’s not something any of us want.”

The vendor booths are fairly run-of-the-mill - a lot of handmade beaded jewelry and carved wooden owls. They run into some of the vendors from Rose Apothecary as they walk, and David and Patrick stop to chat with each of them, leaving Stevie and Alexis to examine the products laid out on the table. Stevie finds herself watching David as he talks, observing the easy, confident way he makes conversation. She hasn’t spent much time in the presence of Professional David, and while it’s not like she wasn’t aware of the fact that he can be a bit of a schmoozer, it’s still weird to see it happen in the wild. Patrick contributes where he can, but this is clearly David’s territory, and they both know it.

“I can’t believe they’re working right now,” Alexis huffs, screwing the lid back onto a lotion sample. “I thought this was supposed to be a night off for them.”

“Don’t say that too loud or we’ll get a lecture on networking from Patrick and be stuck here all night.”

Alexis giggles and swats at her sleeve again. It’s the second time she’s done that, not that Stevie’s counting.

It takes them a long time to get through the first row of tents and booths, and by the time they make it to the end, Stevie’s beer is gone and her stomach is starting to growl again. She announces her plan to abandon all of them if they don’t get something to eat, like, _now,_ and David enthusiastically backs her up, just like she knew he would. They agree to stop and take a break to eat before they continue, which is great because there’s a fancy grilled cheese truck with Stevie’s name all over it.

They place their orders, and David and Patrick have a brief struggle over who’s paying until Alexis reaches over Patrick’s head to hand the cashier her credit card.

“I didn’t realize you were so flush with cash,” David says as they move to the side to wait for their food. “Is there a winning lottery ticket you’ve been hiding away, or…?”

“Stop it, David, you know I still have some money saved from when I was working at Ted’s.”

“If that’s the case, why do you keep stealing our lip balms?”

“Oh my God!” she snaps. “It was one time, David! You need to let that go.”

“It was three times, actually, and no, I don’t.”

As the Rose siblings continue to bicker, Stevie turns to Patrick and says, “I don’t know about you, but I could use another beer.”

Patrick still has a little bit left in his cup, but he drains it in one last sip and says, “Sure.”

“I got it,” Stevie says when he starts to pull out his wallet. “Same thing?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Stevie.”

She just waves him off and takes off in the direction of the beer tent. There’s more of a line this time, and Stevie’s just taken her place at the back when David sidles up beside her.

“I was told there would be drinks,” he says.

Stevie tilts her head. “I don’t remember telling you that.”

“Mhmm.”

“I recall asking your boyfriend if he wanted a drink.”

“That’s basically the same as offering one to me.” As the line moves forward, he makes a vague gesture towards their general surroundings. “So. What do you make of all this?”

Stevie looks around, considering. “It’s a lot nicer than I was expecting, to be honest.”

David hums in agreement. “It is. I mean...it’s still small-town hokey, but it’s kind of cute, right?”

Stevie blinks. “A year ago you would have set your bed on fire before admitting that out loud.”

“I still might, do you have any idea how terrible those mattresses are?”

They continue to banter as they pick up their drinks and carry them back to the table where Patrick and Alexis have set up camp (two beers, one cider, and none for Alexis, who claims she needs to hydrate so she doesn’t end up with David’s bags under her eyes). Their food is waiting for them, and David wastes no time digging in despite the fact that the cheese has the consistency of molten lava. Conversation drops off for the moment as they concentrate on their food; David and Patrick swap halves of their sandwiches.

“Have you guys thought about setting up a booth for the store?” Alexis asks after a few minutes. She pulls a string of cheese from her sandwich and pops it into her mouth. “It could be cute for you.”

They chat logistics for a few minutes as they clear the remains of their dinner and head back for the vendor section. The second row of booths is much the same as the first, and Stevie finds her attention wandering as they walk. Her second beer is gone and she can feel a gentle, pleasant buzz at the back of her skull. Alexis is chatting as they walk, but Stevie loses the thread of the conversation and just lets the sound of her voice wash over her instead. David and Patrick are walking ahead of them, a little bit slower than before, a little bit looser, Patrick’s smaller frame tucked against David, one arm snug around his waist.

Gradually, Stevie becomes aware that Alexis has gone quiet beside her. When she looks over, she sees that Alexis is watching them, too, an uncharacteristically tender look on her face. “I’m glad they didn’t break up.”

“Me too,” Stevie says, thinking of that disastrous week with a shudder.

“It’s just nice to see David dating someone who isn’t, like, a total monster,” Alexis continues. “He should be with someone nice.” Belatedly realizing who she’s talking to, she hastens to add, “Besides you, obviously.”

Stevie flashes back to the hurt look on David’s face when they’d first slept together and she told him it was humiliating. “I don’t know, I think maybe I could have been nicer.”

“Babe. You’re, like, not even in the top ten of terrible exes. Believe me, you’re fine.”

In a weird way, it does make her feel better. “Thank you?”

Alexis boops her on the nose.

They make it to the end of the second row quicker than expected, the boys evidently feeling less chatty this time around. The sun has long since set, and the worst of the crowds have already dispersed, but Stevie feels weirdly reluctant to call it a night. “What time does this thing shut down?”

“10:00, I think,” Patrick says, David’s arm still wrapped around his shoulders.

Stevie glances at her phone. 9:17. “Enough time for one more drink.”

Patrick hesitates. “I don’t know. I still have to drive home.”

Alexis flaps her hand at him. “Have your drink, I’ll drive.”

Patrick still looks uncertain, but he’s starting to waver. “I mean, are you sure…?”

David is already pulling him away. “Quick, before she changes her mind.”

They grab their drinks and find a little table tucked into the corner of the tent where they’d eaten earlier, the strings of round bulbs creating a cozy glow.

“This is nice,” David says. He’s slouched halfway down in his seat, his head on Patrick’s shoulder.

“If you like this sort of thing,” Stevie replies, but her heart’s not really in it this time.

They stay at the table until they see the lights around them starting to go off. Patrick pulls himself to his feet with a groan, offering a hand to David, who overcorrects as he’s pulled up and almost sends them both to the ground. As they right themselves, Alexis holds her hand out for Patrick’s keys.

Their car is easy enough to find, considering how empty the parking lot is by now. Stevie expects Patrick to want the front seat, but he and David tumble into the back as soon as it’s unlocked, much to Alexis’s displeasure.

“You’d better not spend the whole ride home making out back there,” she warns as she starts the car.

“It’s my backseat, I can make out if I want,” Patrick says, and Stevie snorts while Alexis mutters, "Ugh."

Lucky for them, they make it less than ten minutes down the road before Stevie glances back to see that they’ve already dozed off, David’s head on Patrick’s shoulder, Patrick’s cheek pressed against his forehead. “Looks like we’ve got a little peace and quiet, at least.”

“Mm, finally. They really are like a couple of old men.”

It’s quiet most of the drive back, right up until Alexis pulls up in front of Ray’s house and turns off the car. The boys are slow to wake, dragging themselves out of the car, but Patrick rallies a little when Alexis hands him his keys.

“No, Alexis, just take the car back to the motel, I’ll pick it up tomorrow.”

Alexis tilts her head, considering. “I’m pretty sure you need your keys to get inside the house, unless David has a set.”

“What?” David says, bleary-eyed.

Patrick starts to argue but Alexis cuts him off. “We can literally see the motel sign from here, I think we’ll be fine. And I have mace in my purse, so it’s, like, _not_ a big deal.”

Patrick reluctantly takes the keys from her outstretched hand, insisting that she text David when she gets in.

“Totally,” she agrees, muttering, “Like he’ll even see it” once they’re inside.

It’s a short walk to the motel; as they’re approaching the driveway, Alexis says, “You’re not driving home tonight, right?”

Stevie considers it before admitting, “I probably shouldn’t.”

“You can totally crash with me.” Alexis links their arms together. “It’ll be like...like a little slumber party.”

Stevie’s not sure she’s a slumber party kind of girl. “I’m sure there’s an empty room I can take for the night, you don’t have to…”

“Oh my God, stop, it’s totally fine.” Alexis gives her a little shake. “David hasn’t slept here, like, all week, so the sheets are definitely clean.”

Stevie might be crazy, and she might be a little drunk, but she’s pretty sure she can detect a hint of loneliness underneath the breezy tone. Fuck it. Slumber party it is.

Later, wearing a borrowed sleep shirt and curled up in David’s expensive bedding, Stevie remembers Patrick’s request and grabs her phone.

_(11:19pm) made it back to the motel, only had to kill three drifters on the way_

She puts her phone down expecting that to be the end of it, but to her surprise, it buzzes just a minute later.

**(11:20pm) Rude**

**(11:20pm) Those drifters could have been your guests**

_(11:21pm) we happen to cater to a much higher-class clientele these days_

**(11:22pm) You should introduce me to them**

_(11:22pm) i would but your eyebrows would scare them away_

**(11:23pm) Didn’t you go into business with my father**

Stevie laughs as Alexis comes out of the bathroom. “What’s so funny?”

Stevie shakes her head, putting her phone down on the nightstand. “Just texting David that we made it back in one piece.

“I’m sure he was super worried about it.”

Stevie thinks about how quick he was to text her back. _You’d be surprised._

“Are you good?” Alexis asks, reaching for the light.

“Hm? Oh, yeah. Go ahead.”

The room is plunged into darkness, and Stevie can hear Alexis settling in for the night in the next bed. Her head still feels a little bit floaty, but it’s a pleasant, dreamy sensation. The sheets are soft when she pulls them up under her chin, the pillowcase smelling of detergent and a hint of David’s cologne. There’s something very cozy about settling into bed after spending a night outside in the cold, she thinks. She doesn’t necessarily think of this place as home, but there’s something very homey about it tonight.

“What do you think about hew sheets for the motel?” she asks, mostly to herself.

“Love that for you,” Alexis mumbles, already half asleep.

Stevie makes a mental note to bring it up with Mr. Rose in the morning, just before sleep pulls her down as well.


	3. Chapter 3

Stevie agrees to volunteer her apartment for movie night the following weekend on the condition that she doesn’t have to feed them. She doesn’t really have the ideal setup for any sort of group situation, but it’s the one place they can go without getting interrupted by the Rose Family Drama Du Jour, or Ray. The day of, she actually does a cursory cleaning of the apartment, wiping down the kitchen and bathroom and picking up the stray pieces of laundry that hadn’t made it to the hamper. She’s not sure who she’s trying to impress - David and Patrick have literally had sex in her bed - but it does feel good to look around at a mostly clean space.

Nobody’s coming over until after six, to give the boys time to close up the store, but by 3:30 the skies are starting to get dark, ominous-looking clouds blotting out the mid-October sun. By 4:00 it’s starting to drizzle; by 5:00 it’s a full-on downpour. Watching the wind whipping through the trees from her window, Stevie hopes Patrick had the forethought to bring his car to work that morning. Otherwise, it’s going to be a long fucking walk.

The rain has only gotten worse when Stevie hears a knock at her door just before 6:30. She opens it to find a thoroughly bedraggled Patrick in a dripping raincoat, and David, looking slightly damp but no worse for wear. Between them they’re carrying three takeout containers, a paper bag from the grocery store, and David’s ubiquitous black bag, which he never seems to leave home without.

“What happened to you?” Stevie says by way of greeting, standing aside to let them in. Patrick pushes his hood back and runs a hand through his wet hair; David has already hung up his coat and is pulling out boxes of microwave popcorn and two containers of cookies from the paper bag.

“I had to run across the street to the Café to pick up dinner,” Patrick says, pulling the clamshell containers from the plastic bag and placing them on the table.

“You’re welcome, by the way,” David adds, like his boyfriend had made the mad dash across the street in the rain but he’s the one who’s actually suffering for it.

Stevie ignores them to poke at the containers. “Whose is who’s?”

“They’re all cheeseburgers, so take your pick.” Patrick is wiping the back of his neck with a dishtowel he pulled off the handle of the oven; Stevie can only hope it’s relatively clean.

Math may not be Stevie’s strong suit, but she can clearly see that there are three takeout containers instead of four. “Is Alexis coming separately, or…?”

“Oh, she’s not coming,” David says, lips pressed together in a disdainful pout. “She said she, and I quote, ‘wasn’t about to go out in the rain and ruin her whole look just to watch some gross movies.’”

“The pleasure of our company wasn’t enough for her?”

“Apparently not.”

“We offered to pick her up,” Patrick adds, “but she still said no, and we couldn’t bring her around.”

“Well, sounds like her loss.” Something like disappointment has settled in Stevie’s stomach, which is weird because she sees Alexis almost every single day, whether she wants to or not. “We’ll just have to have a good time without her.”

“Usually we’re having a good time in spite of her, so this is a welcome change of pace.” David grabs one of the burgers at random, flipping open the lid and grabbing a few limp fries. “Now can we please stop talking about Alexis and get started? We have a lot of movies to get through.”

First up is  _ Scream. _

“Did I ever tell you about the time I got drunk with Neve Campbell at a dive bar in Brooklyn?” David says as Stevie queues the movie up.

“I’m just trying to picture you at a dive bar,” Patrick teases. “Was it one of those hipster places that looks dive-y on purpose but charges nineteen dollars for a beer?”

“Based on what I paid for shots, you’re probably not far off.”

“Did you guys make out?” Stevie asks. Patrick's mouth twitches, but he looks curious more than anything else.

“We did not.” David sighs. “She had a boyfriend at the time, and apparently no amount of tequila could make him disappear. And we drank  _ a lot _ of tequila.”

The story reminds Stevie of their own lack of drinks, and she jumps up to grab the bottle of red she’d opened right before they arrived, pouring them each glass because, despite all appearances, she can be a good host when she feels properly motivated.

It’s been a while since Stevie has watched this movie, and the opening scene is scarier than she remembers, compounded by David’s insistence that they turn the lights out because that’s the only proper way to watch a scary movie.

(“I can’t see my food,” Stevie complains.

“Just wait for a day scene, then,” David tells her.)

As the onscreen phone rings again and Drew screams in terror, David shudders. “Ugh, this is my worst nightmare.”

Patrick squeezes his knee. “You mean the same person calling you over and over again all night?”

“Exactly.”

The rain is only coming down harder as the movie comes to an end, and the wind is getting worse, too. Stevie actually jumps when a particularly large gust rattles the windows, the drops hitting the glass with a loud  _ smack. _

They clear away the empty boxes and refill their glasses, and David sticks a bag of popcorn in the microwave. While they wait for it to pop, Patrick says, “You know, my cousins and I snuck into  _ Scream _ when we were kids.”

“Oh  _ did  _ you?” David raises an eyebrow while Stevie smirks at him over the rim of her glass.

“Yeah.” He laughs, shaking his head. “Yeah, we uh, we bought tickets to a different movie that started around the same time, and then we ran into the other theater when the usher’s back was turned.”

“You didn’t tell me you were such a deviant in your youth!” David looks absolutely delighted. The microwave beeps and he empties the popcorn bag into a large bowl before putting another one in.

“Yeah, well, it backfired when I had nightmares for a week straight and ended up confessing the whole thing to my parents. They grounded me for the rest of the month.” He laughs again, a little awkwardly, like he’s worried the confession will get him in trouble all over again.

David puts his wineglass down so he can put his arms around Patrick’s shoulders. “That might be the cutest thing I’ve ever heard. How old were you?”

“Eleven or twelve, I think? It was the first time I’d been allowed to go to the movies without a parent - and the last, for a while.”

David looks charmed by the story, the same way he does every time Patrick talks about his bizarrely normal upbringing, but Stevie can also recognize a pre-make out face when she sees it, and she moves in to cut them off before they can start. “Stop making kissy faces so we can put on the next movie.”

“I’ll have you know that making out during a movie is a time-honored tradition,” David says, even as he and Patrick untangle themselves.

“Not when I’m sitting right here,” Stevie grumbles, hitting the lights.

_ Halloween _ is up next.

“A classic,” Patrick proclaims, helping himself to a handful of popcorn. He and David are on the couch, but Stevie has migrated to the floor. Every so often she taps David on the leg, and he hands the bowl of popcorn down so she can grab a handful before passing it back up.

“Does anyone remember this movie being a lot bloodier than this?” Stevie says when they’re about three-quarters of the way through.

“Yeah, it actually tricks your mind into thinking you see more than you actually do,” Patrick says, missing the look that David and Stevie share. “I read this whole article about how-”

“Mm, as excited as we are to hear about that one film class you took in college,” David interrupts, “maybe we can save it for after the movie is over?”

“It was a good class,” Patrick mutters, but looks mollified enough when David leans over and plants a kiss on his cheek.

They round out the evening with  _ The Exorcist,  _ with Patrick claiming that they saved the scariest movie for last.

“Is it that scary, though?” Stevie says as she pops up another bag of popcorn to top off the bowl. She doesn’t even mean it as a challenge, but Patrick is visibly affronted.

“Are you kidding me?” he cries. “It’s terrifying! That spider-walk down the stairs is enough by itself!”

Stevie shrugs. “I mean, yeah, it’s creepy, but we’re talking about one scene out of an entire movie.”

“It’s about the suspense!” Patrick is winding himself up, much to Stevie’s amusement. “Stevie, it’s all about the build-up!”

“I thought it was about all that pea soup.”

They both turn to David, who’s refilling his glass from a bottle Stevie definitely did not give him permission to open. Realizing they want him to settle the debate, he shakes his head. “I’ve never actually seen it. So.”

“All the more reason to watch it,” Patrick says, tugging him back to the couch. Stevie refills her own glass, because the bottle is already open so fuck it.

At first, Stevie thinks the low rumble of thunder might be coming from the movie, but a violent flash of lightning alerts her to the fact that it’s actually coming from outside. The steady, persistent rain that started in the afternoon has given way to a full-blown storm, complete with huge claps of thunder that rattle the walls.

They’re not even halfway through the movie when there’s a brilliant burst of lightning, the deafening  _ BOOM _ of a thunderclap, and suddenly the screen cuts out, leaving the already dark room in a state of total blackout. David yelps, almost dropping the popcorn bowl, which makes Stevie jump and yell, “Fuck!”

For a second nobody moves, until Stevie feels the couch shift against her back as Patrick slowly gets up.

“Be careful,” David cautions, shining the flashlight on his phone as Patrick makes his way over to the window.

“Looks like the power’s out across the whole neighborhood,” he says, taking a step back when another burst of lightning flashes against the glass. “Stevie, do you have any candles?”

“I do, but I usually save them for my hot dates.” But she grabs David’s phone and uses it to light her way to the closet, where she knows she’s got a bunch of half-burned jar candles stashed in the back.

“Gonna smell really weird in here,” she warns as she lights them, placing them around the apartment so that the corners flicker to life, the glow of the flames throwing their shadows across the walls. It’s... not entirely unpleasant, actually, aside from the fact that it means they won’t be finishing their movie tonight. (Unless the power comes back soon, which it won’t.)

David’s phone buzzes on the counter where Stevie had dropped it after turning off the light. Glancing at the screen as she hands it over, she says, “Alexis wants to know if you’ll be home soon.”

David scoffs when a gust of wind drives the rain against the window, accompanied by a loud and prolonged rumble of thunder. “Not anytime soon, from the sound of it.”

“Yeah, we should probably wait until the storm passes, at least,” Patrick agrees, twitching aside the curtains again.

“Bet she’s regretting blowing us off,” Stevie says, watching as David taps a response before shoving his phone in his pocket and saying, “Serves her right.”

As he comes back to the couch and flops down next to David, Patrick sighs. “We were just getting to the good part, too.”

“Well, we were out of popcorn anyway.” David gives the bowl a mournful little shake. “We can’t even make more.”

“Didn’t you guys bring cookies?” Stevie asks, sitting cross-legged on the bed.

David visibly brightens. “We did! And I think there might be some wine left?” He wiggles his shoulders a little like he’s trying to entice Patrick to get up and grab them, and it would be ridiculous except that it works. While Patrick is in the kitchen, David glances over at her and then holds his stare.

“With all these candles, you’ve got this whole ‘spooky witch girl’ thing happening.”

Stevie shakes her head. “Thanks?”

“No, I actually think it’s good? You're one of the few people who can actually pull it off.”

It’s a strange compliment, but David Rose is a strange person, and to that end, so is she. She leans forward, propping her elbows on her knees. “Maybe I should get a cape and a pointy hat to really complete the look.”

David nods. “Absolutely. And a black cat, those are very in with witches.”

“Maybe I can trade my car in for a broomstick.”

“Would that be the first time a broom has ever seen the inside of this place, or…?"

David’s eyes are darker than normal in the candlelight, his face alive with mirth as Stevie tosses a throw pillow at him, narrowly missing Patrick as he comes back in with the cookies and the half-finished bottle of wine balances precariously in his hands.

“So what should we do in the meantime?” Patrick asks as he passes her an entire container of cookies along with her refiled glass, because he’s a good friend. “Because it looks like we’re probably going to be here for a while”

For a second nobody speaks, and then Stevie takes a long sip of her wine. “How do you wimps feel about ghost stories?”


	4. Chapter 4

Of all the things on Patrick’s list, pumpkin carving is the one that Stevie imagines will be the toughest sell, so it comes as a great surprise when she rounds the corner of the motel to see David and Alexis already sitting at the picnic table. Patrick had enlisted her help earlier, asking her to lay out some newspaper on the tabletop and track down an empty bucket for them to use as a pumpkin slime receptacle.

“Stevie, good timing!” Patrick calls when he sees her. “We were just about to get started!”

“I can see that,” Stevie says, eyeing the knives of various sizes laid out on the table, along with what looks like a metal ice scoop. In addition to the knives and tools, Patrick has also laid out a handful of mechanical pencils, so they can draw out the designs they want to carve on the pumpkin faces, as well as a can of Lysol disinfectant spray. There are maybe a half-dozen pumpkins just hanging out in the grass. “Are we expecting company or was there a sale?”

Patrick shakes his head. “No, no, just us.”

“There was a sale, though,” David chimes in, “and who can say no a sale?” He casts a teasing smirk in Patrick’s direction, and Patrick makes a huffy little sound, somewhere between a scoff and a laugh.

“It wasn’t a sale, David, they offered a discount if you bought six.”

“Mm, it was quite the bargain.”

Stevie thinks he’s being wildly optimistic if he thinks they’ll get through even two or them, but she’s learning that things like sense and reason are useless in the face of blind Brewer enthusiasm. Well. At least they’ll have back-ups, if nothing else.

Alexis is drumming her nails against the picnic table. “Okay, it’s not exactly warm out here, so if we could get this started that would actually be really good for me.”

Stevie doesn’t think it’s that bad out, actually. It’s one of those weird, overcast days where it’s still bright out, even though the sun is behind the clouds. The storm over the weekend has stripped most of the leaves from the trees, and bare branches poke out between the leftover patches of autumn color. It’s definitely not warm out, but it’s not really cold, either. It’s just one of those weird fucking days that only seems to happen in October.

Sliding onto the bench next to Alexis, Stevie knocks her foot against David’s. “I’m surprised to see you participating.”

David shakes his head. “I can’t spend the afternoon outside with my boyfriend?”

Patrick’s lips quirk up as he grabs one of the pumpkins and drops in on the table.

“I think it’s the outside part that we’re struggling with, mostly,” Alexis says, resting her chin in her hand and smiling when Stevie nods.

“Excuse me?” David’s got his offended face on. “Did we just forget about the time that Stevie took me hunting and I shot that turkey?”

Alexis makes a face. “I try to forget about that on purpose, actually.”

“Hang on,” Patrick cuts in, looking between the three of them in confusion. “You went hunting with Stevie?”

David nods. “I did, sadly.”

“You shot a  _ turkey?” _

“Right in the neck,” Stevie supplies, enjoying his horrified blink.

Patrick stares at him. “Why did you go  _ hunting?” _

_ Because your boyfriend has a weird tendency to say yes to things he doesn’t want to do when he feels like he has something to prove, _ Stevie thinks, and bites down on her lip to shove the words back down before they come tumbling out of her mouth.

For his part, David just says, “It seemed like a good idea at the time?”

“Anyway,” Alexis cuts in, impatience creeping back up into her voice, “I think Patrick was just about to show us how to make these pumpkin faces?”

“Oh.” Patrick looks caught off-guard. “I was kind of thinking everyone could just do their own?”

“Mhm, no, I totally get that.” Alexis is nodding. “It’s just that I don’t have a lot of experience just stabbing pumpkins with knives. I mean, I did carry a switchblade that one time I was in Kyoto, but I didn’t end up having to use it, so it’s, like, not  _ exactly  _ the same thing.”

“No, of course,” Patrick says, looking slightly bewildered now. “I guess I wasn’t expecting to run a workshop or anything…”

David swoops in for the rescue. “Maybe you can just help us get started and then we can take it from there?”

“Yeah.” Patrick nods, looking relieved to once again have a game plan. “Good idea, let me just...here…” He stoops to pick up another pumpkin and Alexis scrambles over to help, or rather to chatter at him about lifting from the knees like he’s picking up a widescreen TV.

Stevie leans over to David and mutters, “Does it feel like he’s taking this whole pumpkin carving thing just a little bit too seriously?”

David shakes his head. “I just think he gets flustered when he feels like things aren’t going the way he planned.”

Apparently back on track now, Patrick gestures at the pumpkins and says, “Okay. The first thing we have to do is cut off the top and scoop out all the seeds inside.”

David doesn’t miss a beat. “Absolutely not.”

“I thought you were a man of the wilderness,” Stevie says.

“Not where my knits are concerned.”

Alexis tents her fingertips on the tabletop like she’s playing a tiny piano. “Obviously I would, but I  _ just _ got a manicure and I would really hate to mess it up this soon.”

“I don’t see any polish.” David squints at her hands.

“It’s clear polish, David,” she snaps, but she also pulls her hands into her lap, away from prying eyes.

“That’s fine,” Patrick tells her. “Stevie and I can scoop them out.”

Stevie blinks. “Excuse me?”

“Yes!” Alexis exclaims with an unwarranted level of enthusiasm. “That’s perfect, you’ll be like a little farm girl!”

Stevie scoffs. “I’m not a farmgirl.”

“Tell that to your shirt.” David gestures at her flannel.

Stevie turns her glare on Patrick. “Thank you so much for getting me involved.”

“Oh, you’re welcome.” Patrick puts a knife down in front of her. “Can I trust you not to stab any of us with this?”

“Let’s find out,” Stevie mutters.

Hollowing out pumpkins isn’t as bad as Stevie was expecting. Well, no, that’s a lie, the pumpkin slime is disgusting as it squishes through her fingers, but at least she gets it done quickly. Patrick positions the bucket at the end of the table to catch all the seeds, and he shows Stevie how to use the edge of the metal scoop to shave down the walls once the pumpkin is empty to make it easier to carve.

“Who wants the first one?” Patrick asks as he finishes up, and to Stevie’s surprise, Alexis raises her hand with a little flourish and says, “Ooh, me!” 

Stevie, on the other hand, plunks her finished pumpkin down in front of David and says, “Get to work.” Next to her, Alexis has grabbed one of the pencils and is now staring at her pumpkin like it’s a Picasso. “Do you know what you’re going to do?”

“Not yet,” Alexis says, “but don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll come up with something.”

David is tilting his pumpkin one way and then the other. “Where do I even start with this fucking thing?”

"Try sketching something out with one of the pencils, and then you can just trace the lines when you carve,” Patrick suggests as he and Stevie each hoist another pumpkin onto the table.

“And what exactly am I supposed to be sketching?”

Patrick looks up from his pumpkin. “I don’t know, David, maybe try Google if you need some ideas?”

David huffs and pulls his phone out of his pocket as Stevie and Patrick get to work. The second pumpkin is slightly larger and takes longer to hollow out, and Stevie’s not even halfway done when David declares, “Got it,” and grabs one of the paring knives.

“You’re not going to draw it first?” Patrick asks, watching him go to work, but David just shakes his head and says, “I think I’m good.”

Stevie doesn’t need Google’s help to decide what she wants her pumpkin to look like. She draws out the design and starts to carve, tracing the pencil lines like Patrick had said. It’s easier than she’s expecting, the pieces falling away as she cuts, and before long her jack o’lantern is grinning back at her. She places her knife down on the table and folds her arms in front of her finished masterpiece to give David a smug smile.

He glares at her. “There’s no fucking way you’re finished already.”

“Turns out I’m really good at pumpkins.” Stevie turns her pumpkin around to show off the replica of the jack o’lantern from the  _ Halloween _ opening credits.

“Nice, Stevie! Guess you were inspired by our movie night?”

“Guess I was.” Stevie turns her pumpkin back around. It’s pretty close, actually. Not bad for a first time.

David rolls his eyes. “Okay, well, that’s a  _ very _ simple design, so no wonder you’re already done.”

“Let’s see what you’re working on, then,” Stevie shoots back, eyebrows raised. Alexis leans forward, her own pumpkin forgotten.

David hesitates before trying to tell them it’s not finished yet. When Stevie and Alexis continue to stare at him expectantly, he sighs before turning his pumpkin around to reveal an amorphous sort of blob carved unevenly into the front.

Stevie snorts. “I thought you said it wasn’t done.”

“Okay.” David scowls at a point just above her head.

Alexis pokes at one of the edges with the tip of a finger. “What is it supposed to be, David?”

There’s a pause that goes on forever before David says, “It was supposed to be a bat.”

“So cute,” Alexis says, tucking back a smile.

“Okay, you know what, this clearly isn’t working,” David snaps. Stevie expects him to get up and storm off in a huff, but instead, he snatches up the ruined pumpkin and puts it down on the ground. “Let me start again.”

Patrick hasn’t actually started carving yet, and now he slides his pumpkin over to David, “Here, why don’t you take this one?”

“Thanks,” David mutters, but he’s already scrolling through his phone again. He must find something he likes, because he lets out a soft, “Alright,” and grabs one of the pencils.

Alexis has picked up the knife that Stevie had been using, and now she’s sawing disinterestedly at one of the pencil lines. There are various markings all over the front of the pumpkin, but they’re not forming any sort of cohesive picture, at least not that Stevie can see. For a few minutes she watches Alexis make little frustrated noises as she jabs at the pumpkin, but then Alexis glances up and catches her staring. Stevie’s gaze cuts to the side, but it’s already too late.

“Hey.” Alexis slides over just a little bit closer, the heel of her boot bumping up against Stevie’s Converse. “You’re, like, really good at this.”

“Am I?” Stevie says, shaking her head even though she doesn’t pull away.

“Um, yes!” She’s laying it on thick. “Look at your cute little pumpkin guy! I’m pretty sure mine’s not going to come out as good as that - it’s going to end up looking like David’s, probably.”

“Choke on your gum, Alexis,” David says, but he’s concentrating too hard on his carving for it to have any real heat.

“Anyway!” Alexis pushes her hair back from her face. “I was thinking you could just...give me a hand? Just a little bit, you know, like a jump start!”

Stevie’s pretty sure she’s about to get suckered into carving another pumpkin, but she pulls it over all the same. The pencil markings are just as incomprehensible up close.

“Um.” Stevie glances over. “Do you know what you want to do with it?”

“Yes!” Alexis leans in even closer; she’s practically in Stevie’s lap. “So I want it to be kind of spooky, because it’s Halloween, obviously, but also, like, really cute. And kind of sassy? But definitely not tacky.”

“Got it.” Stevie picks up a pencil. She doesn’t, really, since Alexis never said anything about what she wanted to actually carve, but she’s making some executive decisions and a face seems like a good place to start. While Alexis props her chin in her hand to watch, Stevie carves out a star she’s traced out for one eye, and a crescent moon for the other. Forgoing the toothy grin, she carves out a smaller mouth with two little vampire fangs. Surveying her work, she goes back in and carves a small triangle for a nose. She’s not sure if it’s spooky, or sassy, or cute. It is, however, finished.

Alexis claps her hands together in delight when she sees it. “Stevie! She’s adorable! See, I knew you’d do a better job than me.” She holds it up for Patrick to see.

“Very nice!” Patrick says, glancing up from his work. “Make sure you spray it when you’re done.”

Stevie makes a face. “Why?”

“So it doesn’t rot,” Patrick tells her, chuckling when both David and Alexis mutter, “Ew.”

As Stevie sprays her jack o’lanterns, David drops the knife. “Okay, look.”

“Oh, wow,” Patrick says, coming up behind him. “David, I like that.”

“Can you tell what it’s supposed to be?”

“I can, yeah.” He bumps David’s shoulder with his elbow, since his hands are still mostly covered in pumpkin.

Curious now, Stevie comes around the table to join him. “Huh.”

There are six squares, in two rows of three, like window panes, topped off with two little triangles that curve out at the sides. He’s also carved out a thin line across the bottom to serve as the base. It bears more than a passing resemblance to the picture of an old-fashioned lantern that he’s pulled up on his phone.

David clears his throat. “I thought we could put it outside the store.”

Patrick nods with a smile. “It’ll look great.”

After everyone is done, Stevie and David clear away the newspapers while Patrick takes the bucket of seeds out back to dump into the woods, along with David’s first failed pumpkin. When they all make their way back to the motel room to clean up the tools, Alexis parks her jack o’lantern on the chair outside the door, where it grins up at them in all its spooky, sassy, pumpkin glory.

Unsure of what to do with her own pumpkin, Stevie carries it into the office with her, placing it on the counter near the computer while she grabs her bag. She pauses on her way to the door, turning it so that it’s fully facing out into the lobby. She kind of likes it there, actually.


	5. Chapter 5

The one sticking point to this whole Halloween adventure - and the thing that prompted it in the first place - is what to do about trick-or-treating. Despite all evidence to the contrary, they are all adults, and while Schitt’s Creek is a surprisingly accepting place, Stevie’s pretty sure they would all be shunned from the community if they attempted to collect any candy.

Patrick, however, is adamant that they try to find some way to incorporate it into their plans, so it’s appropriate that he ends up being the one who finds a solution.

“Did you know Schitt’s Creek does a trick-or-treating event downtown?” he asks when they’re hanging out a few days before Halloween.

David rubs his shoulder. “I’m pretty sure they have trick-or-treating everywhere, actually.”

“While that may be true,” Patrick says with a good-natured eyeroll, “I was actually talking about the event the town puts together with the local businesses every year.” When he’s met with blank stares, he raises his eyebrows. “Do either of you know what I’m talking about?”

David shakes his head. “I don’t know what goes on here. What about Stevie?”

“What about me?” Stevie puts her hands on her hips.

“Aren’t you from here? How do you not know about this?”

All she can do is shrug, because she genuinely has no idea what they’re talking about.

She gets the scoop from Twyla the next day when she stops in for her morning coffee. “Oh yeah! All the businesses downtown decorate and set up little stations on the sidewalk so kids can stop and get candy when they pass through. It’s really cute.”

“Yeah, it sounds cute.” Stevie fiddles with her cup. “How long has that been going on?”

If Twyla notices her confusion, she’s nice enough to ignore it. “Oh, a while? A few years, at least. It makes sense, if you think about it, since so many people come through here anyway. It gives us a chance to join in.”

“And people actually...do it?”

“Definitely!” Twyla grins, grabbing a couple of menus. “It’s like a block party, it’s really fun. You should totally come down! Unless...you’re passing out candy at the motel?”

Stevie grimaces. “I doubt anyone wants their kids knocking on any of those doors.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s kind of far. Well...maybe we’ll see you there!” With one last smile, Twyla heads to the back to greet the couple that just sat down, leaving Stevie at the counter with her now-lukewarm coffee.

Patrick is predictably enthusiastic about the idea, but Stevie is surprised at how quickly David and Alexis seem to get on board as well.

“This seems very off-brand for you,” Stevie says when they’re hanging out in the office that evening. The Roses are out to dinner, leaving Stevie to take care of a late check-in, and David is keeping her company until she can leave. Her jack o’lantern flickers on the counter, lit from within by a battery-operated tea light.

“It’s a good opportunity for the store,” David counters. “Patrick is always going on about ‘community outreach,’ so this will definitely help.” He grimaces. “And if we have to deal with a few sticky-fingered children in the process, that’s...fine.” The look on his face directly contradicts his words.

Stevie stares at him. “So you, David Rose, are going to sit outside, all night, in the cold, just to throw some mini Snickers at a bunch of bratty kids.”

David nods. “That is correct.”

“Wow.” Stevie shakes her head. “Who are you? Are you a pod person?”

“Okay.” David rolls his eyes.

“Blink twice if someone else is controlling your body.”

“Does ‘controlling your body’ not include blinking?” David tosses his magazine on the table.

“Sounds like someone’s just making excuses.”

_ “Anyway.” _ David stands up, apparently tired of the conversation. “This has been really fun for me, but I think I’m gonna go back to my room and do...literally anything else.”

“Thanks for stopping by, friend!” Stevie calls after his retreating back, turning to her game of Solitaire.

David pauses at the door. “You will be joining us, right?”

It’s not as if Stevie has any other plans. “I guess I could stop by.”

“Good.” As he leaves, he throws a smirk over his shoulder. “I mean, what else do you have going on, right?”

“I’m not wearing a fucking costume!” she shouts after him as the door slams shut.

***

Stevie is, in fact, wearing a fucking costume.

Or rather, she’s wearing black jeans and a black t-shirt with David’s leather jacket, and Alexis has swapped out her sneakers for a pair of high-heeled black boots that Stevie is not looking forward to putting on.

“Remind me what we’re doing again?” Stevie says as Alexis dabs at her face with a makeup sponge.

“We’re vampires, obviously.” Alexis steps back to gesture at the floor-length black velvet wrap dress hugging her body, the long sleeves delicately rolled up to avoid getting them smudged with pale makeup. Her own makeup is already finished, deep red lips paired with charcoal eyes and sharp-winged eyeliner, two perfect puncture marks painted onto the side of her neck. She looks, in other words, like the quintessential sexy vampire queen, whereas Stevie looks like an extra who wandered off the set of  _ The Lost Boys. _

“I guess I’m having a hard time understanding why you get to have this whole mysterious glamour thing-”

“Oh my God, thank you!”

“-Whereas I’m wearing your brother’s jacket and white face paint.”

Alexis  _ hmphs. _ “Well, first of all, it’s actually a foundation that’s two shades lighter than your skin tone, since you’re already so pale. And before you can get all  _ offended,  _ I’m wearing the same thing, so it’s fine. And secondly, there’s, like, different kinds of vampires, and some are seductive and elegant-” she gestures to herself again, which is fair, “-and some are more, like, 80’s goth girl. And I just think it’s  _ so  _ important to play to your strengths when you’re picking out a costume.”

Stevie had closed her eyes when Alexis had come at her with the eyeshadow, but now she cracks one open and says, “So my strength is weird 80s goth vampire?”

“Yes, but, like, in a  _ good  _ way.” Alexis makes an impatient little flapping motion with her hand, and Stevie closes her eyes again with a sigh.

It’s a long time for anyone to be paying that much attention to her face - longer than she’s comfortable with, frankly - but finally Alexis tells her she’s finished and she can open her eyes. She holds a round mirror up to Stevie’s face, looking way too excited. Stevie takes it from her and pulls it a little closer so she can get a better look. Her face is paler than normal, it’s true, but it’s not the white clown makeup Stevie had been picturing. Her eyes are rimmed darker than normal, with dark charcoal shadow filling in the space between her lids and her brows. She’s smudged the makeup out slightly at the bottom of her eyes and added a sweep of dark powder just under her cheekbones, giving her face a bloodless, hollowed-out quality. She’s gone for a darker shade of red on her lips, which she’s swept on with a brush so it’s a bit more sheer than her own matte finish. She’s added two little punctures to Stevie’s neck as well, adding just a little bit more red to make her look like she’s been freshly bitten. The finished effect is spooky goth, certainly, but it’s also beautiful, in a creepy sort of way. Stevie still sort of looks like herself, but also very much does not. She can’t say for sure what she had been expecting, but she finds herself unexpectedly pleased with the face staring back at her from the mirror.

“I look like a haunted doll,” she says, and means it as a compliment, but Alexis’s smile dims slightly as she says, “Okay, well, I wasn’t actually going for that, but I guess it’s fine.”

“No, no, I like it,” Stevie assures her. She does. Maybe spooky 80s vampire is playing to her strength after all.

Alexis hums, looking a little bit more pleased with the compliment, and fluffs Stevie’s hair. “Should we straighten your hair, do you think?”

Stevie glances up. “My hair is already straight.”

“Mostly, yes, but maybe we could just...smooth it out a little.”

Stevie glances out the window, where the sun is already low in the sky. “We should probably think about heading out so we’re not walking over in the dark.”

“Mm-hmm, yeah. Totally.”

When Stevie looks back, Alexis is fidgeting with one of her earrings, her immaculate red lips pursed in a tiny frown. Stevie sighs. “Do you want to straighten my hair, Alexis?”

“I promised it’ll only take two seconds!” Alexis runs into the bathroom to grab David’s hair straightener.

The sun has definitely gone down by the time they actually leave the motel, but it’s not completely dark yet, streaks of color leftover from the sunset showing through the mostly bare trees as they walk. It’s another chilly night, and Stevie’s grateful for the stolen jacket, though she has to admit the hooded cape that Alexis has thrown on over her dress actually looks pretty warm, too.

David and Patrick are already sitting outside the store when Stevie and Alexis come around the corner. It looks like they’ve borrowed one of the tables from outside the Café, along with four of the chairs, and there’s a glass bowl full of candy perched on top. The lights inside the Apothecary have been dimmed, giving the space a warm, cozy glow that bleeds out into the night. David’s pumpkin flickers from the steps behind them; he’s drawn the black outline of a lantern around the spaces he’s carved out, lest there be any doubt about what it’s supposed to be. He was right, it does look good outside the store.

David’s dressed in his regular clothes, a simple black mask his only concession to the holiday, but it’s not enough to hide his smirk as me makes a show of looking Stevie up and down before saying, “I thought you said you were going to wear a costume.”

Stevie scowls. “I said I  _ wasn’t  _ going to wear a costume, actually.”

“I think we’re saying the same thing.”

Stevie drops into the chair next to him. “It’s better than...whatever this is. What are you supposed to be, a cat burglar? Did you wear that to steal Twyla’s furniture?”

“For your information, Twyla had to move this stuff anyway to set up outside, so she  _ offered  _ to let us use it. And yes, before you ask, I did help carry it across the street.”

Stevie eyes him. “Did you, though?”

“Well, I carried one of the chairs, anyway.” He looks over at her again, and this time, he frowns. “Is that my jacket?”

“Well, I needed something costumey,” she says, just to see the look on his face.

Over at the Café, Twyla is standing next to a plastic cauldron suspended from three long sticks fashioned into a tripod, wearing a witch’s hat and holding an old broom. Yellow and orange string lights are arranged in a tangle underneath the cauldron, with a bunch of dead leaves tucked in around them. From here, they could almost pass for real embers, except for the fact that there’s no smoke. Alexis flounces across the street to go and say hi, cape trailing behind her.

“Oh, hey Stevie, nice costume,” Patrick says, coming out of the store with another bowl of candy. He’s also dressed in his normal clothes, with a hoodie thrown on against the cool night air, and the sight of him makes Stevie roll her eyes so hard it’s a wonder she doesn’t sprain something.

“Okay, I expected a total lack of effort from David,” she says, ignoring his insulted little scoff, “but you’re the one who dragged us all out here, and you couldn’t even be bothered to try and dress up?”

Sliding into the empty chair on David’s other side, Patrick reaches into the pocket of his sweatshirt and pulls out a pair of thick glasses with a rubber nose and mustache attached, which he shoves triumphantly onto his face.

Stevie stares at him. “That’s pathetic.”

“Sometimes simple is best, Stevie.”

“I mean, simple is definitely the word.” She looks across the street, where Alexis appears to be comparing capes with Twyla. “Is the Café actually open? I didn’t get a chance to eat dinner.”

“There’s actually pizza inside, if you’re hungry.” Patrick jabs a thumb over his shoulder. “Ray let me borrow his slow cooker for the night, too, so there’s hot apple cider, if you want.”

“Any chance of digging up some whiskey to go with that cider?”

Patrick laughs. “Bottle’s on the counter.”

“Well say no more.” Stevie heads inside to help herself. When she comes back out, Alexis is making her way back.

“Aw, you look so cute!” she cries when she sees Patrick. “You’re like a little cartoon character!” She boops him on his plastic nose.

“I’m also wearing a mask,” David points out, insulted to be left out.

“Mm, and it covers your face which is so great for me.” She grabs the last chair, arranging her cape around herself gracefully as she sits, crossing one leg over the other. “Have a lot of trick-or-treaters come through already? Like, most of them, maybe?”

“Only a few,” Patrick says with a shake of his head. “Twyla says it doesn’t really start to pick up until after it gets dark, though, so we should be seeing more soon.”

“Mm, can’t wait!” Alexis says, looking thoroughly unenthused, but she gestures at the table. “That must be why you have two whole bowls set up.”

“Oh, no.” Patrick shakes his head again. “The second bowl is to keep the candy with peanuts separate from the rest.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet!” Alexis coos.

Patrick gives a little shrug. “One of my cousins is allergic, I remember Halloween being tough for him.”

“I totally get that,” Alexis says, leaning over to pick through one of the bowls.

“Um, excuse me,” David snaps. “We didn’t put that out for you.”

“It’s one Snickers, David, relax.”

Their stretch of sidewalk might be empty, but Stevie can hear signs of life coming from the neighborhood behind them, doorbells and faint knocks accompanied by cries of “Trick or treat!” Maybe it’s a combination of the sounds and the chilly night air, but Stevie feels a little thrill of anticipation. Next to her, David runs his hands down the front of his pants, almost like he’s nervous.

The voices are growing steadily closer, until the first group of kids rounds the corner - a princess, two superheroes, and a tiny girl in a black tutu and little cat ears.

“Trick or treat!” they say shyly, while Alexis squeals at how cute they are and Patrick holds out the bowls, since the little cat girl is too small to reach the table.

“What do you say?” one of the parents asks, sounding like she’s already asked that question a thousand times, and there’s a chorus of considerably less enthusiastic “thank you”s. They turn towards the Café and pause, clearly hesitant to approach Twyla in all her witchy getup, until their parents gently urge them across the street so they can collect candy from her cauldron.

“Adorable,” Alexis sighs.

Stevie looks at her. “I didn’t think you were into the idea of having kids.”

“Oh, I’m not, ew.” Alexis wrinkles her nose. “But they’re kind of cute from far away, as long as they don’t make a lot of noise. Or smell.”

“Now we only have to do this 200 more times and then I can go to bed,” David says, and Patrick laughs, rubbing his shoulder and pretending not to notice when he sneaks a Kit Kat out of the bowl.

True to Twyla’s word, the activity starts to pick up, and before long, groups of trick-or-treaters can be seen coming and going from all directions. The noises, which had been faint and sporadic before, are all around them now - not just cries of “Trick or treat!” but the laughter of kids and adults alike, the smack of feet against the pavement as they run from one building to the next, snatches of conversation as groups of people move past. The main intersection has been closed to traffic for the night, giving everyone plenty of space to move about safely.

The atmosphere around them feels...not heavy, exactly, but charged, the air thrumming with excitement and something else that Stevie can’t quite put her finger on. She could use a refill on her cider, but she’s reluctant to go inside and get it, unwilling to leave her seat and the cool October night behind.

At some point, David also decides he needs another drink, and Stevie hands him her cup wordlessly over her shoulder. While he’s inside, Patrick moves over into his seat and nudges her with his elbow. “This ended up working out pretty well, didn’t it?”

Stevie watches the scene in front of them. It feels like something out of a movie. “I guess if you can’t  _ actually _ go trick-or-treating, this is a pretty good back-up.”

“Yeah, at least we can still feel like we’re a part of it.” Patrick snatches a Twix from the mostly empty bowl, fiddling with the wrapper. “I remember being so excited for Halloween when I was a kid, you know? Not just the candy part, but the whole thing. Being outside with my cousins at night, running around from house to house, seeing all the decorations that people put up. It felt like the one night that was...just for us, I guess.” He glances back at David through the Apothecary window. “I just wanted to give him a chance to see what that felt like.”

“Let me guess,” Stevie says, deflecting those earnest eyes behind the goofy glasses. “This is the same conversation you had with David to convince him to sit outside with you in the dark all night.”

Patrick laughs softly. “I did. And now I’m having it with you.”

Stevie does turn to look at him then. He’s caught her off-guard, and she doesn’t like it. “You don’t have to fix my broken childhood, you know.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Patrick turns back to the street. “You were just helping me do something nice for my boyfriend and her sister.”

A moment passes, and then another. When Stevie’s sure her voice will hold steady, she says, “You’re a menace, Brewer.”

He gives her a happy little shrug. “Yeah. I know.”

It’s after 10:00 before the evening starts to wind down. The steady stream of trick-or-treaters slows to a trickle, and then stops completely. The silence is strange after the hours of activity; it settles over them like a thick quilt. For a long while, none of them move; it's like if someone speaks, the night will be over for real.

The spell is broken when Twyla comes over from across the street. She’s left her broom propped up against the Café wall, but she’s still wearing her hat. Up close, Stevie can see her deep green eyeshadow.

“Did you guys have fun?” she asks, standing next to Alexis’s chair. “We had a good turnout this year! Last year, it rained most of the night, which put a damper on the whole thing, literally.”

“Yeah, it was great, actually.” Patrick stretches his arms above his head. “It's a shame it’s over already.” He gets up and pulls the lid off of David’s lantern pumpkin, which Stevie can see now has been lit with a real candle. He’s about to blow it out when Twyla cries, “Wait, don’t!”

Patrick starts, looking up at her in confusion. “I don’t think I can leave it burning all night, Twyla.”

“No, not all night,” she tells him. “Just until midnight. That’s the rule.”

They all stare at her, waiting for an explanation.

“Did you not know?” Twyla says. “You’re supposed to leave jack o’lanterns burning until midnight, otherwise you’re inviting the spirits into your home. Or business, I guess, in this case.” She gestures back at the Café, where a jack o’lantern is still burning in the otherwise dark windows. 

Turning back to them, she continues, “Once it’s midnight, Halloween is over, and the veil is closed, and it’s safe to blow them out.”

“What veil?” Alexis asks, looking confused.

“The veil between worlds,” Twyla explains. “The spirit world and this one. Didn’t you know that’s what Halloween actually is? A night for the spirits to roam the earth?”

“I must have missed that,” Stevie says in her usual drawl, but she feels a little shiver creep up the back of her neck all the same.

Patrick is still holding the lid of the pumpkin, but he glances over at David and shrugs. “We could stay out here until midnight?”

David shrugs back. “We wouldn’t want to anger the spirits, would we?” He’s smiling a little bit when he says it, though, the one that twists to the left like he’s trying not to smile at all. He tugs at Patrick’s wrist until he drops down into his lap, leaving his chair free for Twyla to sit.

“We never got to have a bonfire,” Patrick murmurs with a disappointed sigh, cheek pressed against David’s hair.

“There’s always next year,” Stevie tells him, and actually means it.

There had been a slight breeze all night, but the air is still now, and quiet. Porch lights have all been extinguished, homes and businesses locked up tight. It’s just the five of them, sitting outside under the last of the October stars, waiting for the midnight hour to strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the most fun writing this, and I hope everyone enjoyed reading it, too! Happy Halloween, friends.


End file.
